Map via City of Fresno

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a BUILD grant of $10.5 million to the City of Fresno for its Veterans Boulevard Project.

The grant will provide the final funding to complete the project, the first phase of which — connecting Veterans Boulevard to Bullard Avenue — was completed just a few weeks ago.

The BUILD Grant will allow the city to make crucial improvements to infrastructure along Veterans Boulevard, a six-lane arterial roadway running from Herndon Avenue to Shaw Avenue with an interchange at Highway 99.

“This is wonderful news for Fresno, as this is the final funding piece of a $120 million project to connect western and eastern segments of the city,” said Brand. “Thank you to Congressman Nunes, Congressman Costa, Senators Feinstein and Harris, and everyone at the federal level who has helped to make this very necessary and important project a reality.”

“Today’s announcement that Fresno will be awarded a $10.5 million BUILD Grant is fantastic news for the Central Valley,” said Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare). “The Grant will reduce congestion at the Veterans Boulevard Interchange and better connect the Valley’s rural communities with Fresno. I commend Mayor Lee Brand and the City of Fresno for pursuing this crucial improvement to our infrastructure, and I thank Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for making this project a priority.”